COLUMN: Recipes for a tasty tailgate

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It's finally time for SEC football, and here in the South we take our Saturdays very seriously. There is nothing southerners do best than putting together a tailgate before the big game.

You can find Auburn fans camped out all over campus – tents complete with flat screen TVs, Christmas lights and, of course, a huge buffet of food.

Every host or hostess wants to impress their guests and be known as the person who holds killer tailgates time after time. That being said, food is definitely the way to ensure your party is memorable.

Most people make the mistake of serving the basics — burgers, hotdogs and macaroni and cheese for example. There is nothing wrong with these dishes, after all, they are traditional for a reason. However, you can easily spice these classics up or, better yet, serve something a little different than what your guests will expect.

I have collected a few quick and delicious recipes from my kitchen on game days. Putting in the effort to try a new dish might seem daunting, but when they turn out as crowd-pleasing and simple as these, there's no need to stress.

Chicken Enchilada Roll Ups

Ingredients:

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

2 tbsp Old El Paso taco seasoning

2 cups shredded chicken

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (drained)

4 green onions (chopped)

8 tortillas

Directions:

1. Mix up all of the ingriedients (besides the tortillas.)

2. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto a tortilla.

3. Roll the tortilla tightly and let chill for at least 30 minutes.

Loaded Tater Tot Skewers

Ingredients:

1 bag of tater tots

8 slices of cooked bacon (chopped)

1 cup of cheese (grated)

1 tbsp ranch seasoning

Skewers

Directions:

1. Cook tater tots in oven until brown. (Roughly 20-30 minutes)

2. Let cool and then place on skewers.

3. Sprinkle ranch seasoning, bacon and cheese on top.

4. Put back into the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Banana Cream Pudding in a Jar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cups milk

2 egg yolks (lightly beaten)

1 tbsp salted butter

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 box of vanilla wafers

1-2 bananas

1 (8 oz) container whipped topping

Directions:

1. Add sugar, cornstarch and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth.

5. Place pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

6. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

7. Using about 3 vanilla wafers per jar, break up wafers and add to the bottom of the jars.

8. Slice banana and add about 3 slices of banana per jar.

9. Fill the rest of the jar with pudding mixture.

10. Put jars in fridge to cool completely.

11. Top pudding with whipped topping and a banana slice.

12. Store individual puddings in the fridge until ready to serve. Make six four ounce jars.

When you serve these recipes at your next tailgate, guests will wonder how long you spent cooking the night before or how much effort you put into these fabulous dishes; just smile and let them think you're the next Martha Stewart.